Baking Soda ???
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New User
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 24
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Baking Soda ???
Just curious if any of you guys ever heard of putting 1/2 cup of baking soda in your cooling system to flush it out. As the story goes, it is supposed to help neutralize the acidity in the system, and the fine grit of the powder removes minor scaling of the jackets. I'm not quite convinced on the science and wondered if anyone else heard of this. Apparently, some guys swear that after doing this, they drain quite a lot of rust and scale out of the system when they flush it out. 
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 198
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From: Texas Gulf Coast
Baking Soda ???
Baking soda will neutralize the acidity and raise the PH. I use it it my aquariums all the time to raise PH (a lot cheaper than PH Up sold in pet stores)However I don't know if it will cause an unwanted chemical reaction with anti-freeze.
I'm not so sure about it removing the scale, because as soon as it dissolves in the water it will no longer be abrasive.
I would use a product made specifically for flushing the radiator myself.
I'm not so sure about it removing the scale, because as soon as it dissolves in the water it will no longer be abrasive.
I would use a product made specifically for flushing the radiator myself.
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 200
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Baking Soda ???
The baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) will increase the pH and, depending on the chemistry already prevailing (how much junk is in solution), could cause scale precipitation. Many types of scale will not be removed by acid or other simple methods. I would stick with the radiator flush ($3 at Wal-mart), followed by deionized water and new antifreeze.
Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 9,987
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From: Memphis, TN
Baking Soda ???
Baking soda won't necessarily raise pH. Chemically, it's a "buffer" which means it brings the pH to some particular value. If the pH is low, it brings it up; if it's high, it brings it down.
